matron

American  

[mey-truhn] / ˈmeɪ trən /

noun

1. a married woman, especially one who is mature and staid or dignified and has an established social position.

2. a woman who has charge of the domestic affairs of a hospital, prison, or other institution.

3. a woman serving as a guard, warden, or attendant for women or girls, as in a prison.

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matron British  

/ ˈmeɪtrən /

noun

1. a married woman regarded as staid or dignified, esp a middle-aged woman with children

2. a woman in charge of the domestic or medical arrangements in an institution, such as a boarding school

3. a wardress in a prison

4. Official name: nursing officer.  the former name for the administrative head of the nursing staff in a hospital

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Other Word Forms

• matron-like adjective
• matronal adjective
• matronhood noun
• matronship noun

Etymology

Origin of matron

1350–1400; Middle English matrone < Latin mātrōna a married woman, wife, derivative of māter mother

Related Words

• dowager
• housekeeper
• matriarch